


The Mark of Nimueh - What If?

by XphiaDP



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: AU, Arthur has to cover him, Merlin's Magic Revealed (Merlin), What-If, merlin's an idiot, s1e3, you know the deal
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-22
Updated: 2019-08-22
Packaged: 2020-09-23 20:31:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,600
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20346283
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/XphiaDP/pseuds/XphiaDP
Summary: We all thought that this episode could have gone much differently.  When Merlin decides to idiotically announce his magical status to the entire council, Arthur is left to bail him out while trying to keep his own emotions in check.





	The Mark of Nimueh - What If?

**Author's Note:**

> Yo! This was my first work over on fanfiction.net and I want to start posting over here too so I'm just bringing a bunch of my stories over here too. I only added a few missing words and commas in terms of editing since posing it five years ago so it's definitely not my best work but I didn't want to go and rewrite the entire thing. So here it is!

Merlin’s heart was pounding has he thrust open the doors to the throne room. “It was me! I used magic to cure Gwen’s father!” he yelled. The council members stared at him. Merlin saw Gaius’s disapproval and sadness through the mask of show and confusion. Merlin also noticed a slight widening of Arthur’s eyes as all the missing puzzle pieces fell into place. ‘No going back now,’ he thought. “Gwen is not the sorcerer. I am!” he continued.

Gaius stood and, in a whispered voice that was a lot louder than it was really meant to be, said, “Merlin! Are you mad?”

Merlin looked at his mentor, face set in determination. “I cannot let her die for me,” he said before looking at Uther. “I place myself at your mercy.”

Gaius turned towards the king. “He doesn’t know what he’s talking about,” Gaius said quickly.

“I do,” Merlin replied immediately. Gaius turned around in shock. Merlin’s eyes held a clear message. ‘It’s my fault. I will not let Gwen die for my own mistakes. I’m sorry.’  
Gaius stared.

Uther watched the exchange before sitting down and delivering Merlin’s sentence. “Then arrest him,” the king spoke. The guards grabbed Merlin’s arms and started to pull him towards the door.

Arthur quickly countered, moving towards Merlin. “Father, please! I can’t allow this! This is madness! There is no way Merlin is a sorcerer!” he said motioning towards the servant. Merlin’s eyes widened. Arthur was defending him? Arthur had figured it out, Merlin knew, yet he was defending him? Uther stared at his son.

“Did you not hear him?”

“Yes,” Arthur replied, unable to deny that.

“He admitted it,” Uther stated.

“He saved my life, remember?” Arthur asked. Merlin could only stare at the conversation. Arthur still trusted him.

“Why would he fabricate such a story?” Uther asked, looking at Merlin through the corner of his eyes. Arthur struggled to come up with a cover.

“As Gaius said, he’s got a…” Arthur seemed to come up with something. “Grave mental disease,” Arthur continued motioning towards the court physician. Mer and Gaius exchanged confused glances.

“Really?” Uther asked looking mildly interested. Arthur continued to struggle to com up with a follow up to his story.

He looked at Merlin before stating, “He’s in love.” Merlin’s mouth dropped open.

“What?” he said, surprised beyond belief. Of all the things Arthur could have said…

“With Gwen,” Arthur followed up. Uther seemed to calm down a bit, even looking very amused at Merlin’s expense.

“I am not,” Merlin said trying to wiggle himself out of this situation.

“Yes, you are,” Arthur insisted with a hidden flash in his eyes.

“No way,” Merlin insisted. Arthur smiled slightly, looking like he was having fun being able to embarrass his manservant in front of the entire court. However, only Merlin saw the slight panic in his eyes as he came up with lies on the spot.

“I saw you yesterday with that flower she gave you,” Arthur said with a hoking tone.

“I am not in love with her,” Merlin said trying to get that point across. Unknown to the servant and master, Uther had gotten out of his chair and had started walking towards them. Gaius sat down and smiled at the two, clearly amused with the situation. Arthur casually swung his arm around Merlin’s shoulders.

“It’s alright. You can admit it here,” he said motioning to the council chamber. Merlin looked around to see everyone in the room equally entertained with the show.

“I don’t even think of her like that!” Merlin said trying and failing to change their opinions on the matter. Sure, he was glad he was alive, but this was even worse than death.

“Perhaps she cast a spell on you,” Uther said casually leaning on two council members’ chairs. The hall went silent and Merlin and Arthur adopted panicked expressions. Then Uther started laughing. The rest of the room followed shortly, and Arthur looked to Merlin with a smile. Merlin looked uncomfortable. Arthur looked down and placed his free hand on his waist with an entertained chuckle.

“Merlin is a wonder, but the wonder is that he’s such an idiot. There is no way he’s a sorcerer,” Arthur said, forcing the last part out towards Merlin. Merlin looked at Arthur and noticed the secret message. ‘We’ll talk later.’ Merlin nodded ever so slightly. Uther moved back towards his throne.

“Don’t waste my time again. Let him go.” The guards let Merlin pass and he walked out the door. Gaius stood and bowed to excuse himself, but Uther seemed to have different plans.

“Gaius, if you would, please stay here. We still need to figure out how to purge this illness from Camelot,” Uther said. Gaius nodded and sat back down though a bit hesitantly. Arthur took this opportunity and spoke.

“Father, I believe I have a servant to punish for barging in on our meeting. If I may?” Arthur said motioning towards the door. Uther contemplated it and nodded. Arthur nodded in gratitude before walking out the door to his room where he knew Merlin would be waiting.

His mind was racing. Merlin was a sorcerer. Arthur knew he shouldn’t accept this, but it all made sense now. Merlin making it in time to push him out of the way of that dagger, Valiant’s snakes coming out of his shield before he called them, Merlin’s ability to finish chores at an abnormal speed, it all just seemed to click. Part of Arthur’s mind was yelling at him that sorcerers were pure evil. They killed his mother and brought constant curses to his kingdom, but the rational part of his brain knew that not all of this was true. He had seen magic do some good. Magic healed Gwen’s father, and Arthur had no doubt that that was Merlin’s doing. By this time, Arthur had reached his room. He pushed open the doors to reveal Merlin standing there with his head bowed and hands clasped in front of him as if waiting to be punished.

“Why didn’t you tell me?” Arthur demanded after closing the door behind him. Merlin flinched at the tone of voice and spoke softly.

“You would have chopped my head off,” he said. Arthur sighed and fell into a chair.

“I’m not sure what I would have done,” he replied massaging his temples.

“And I didn’t want you to make that decision,” Merlin said.

Arthur blinked. Here was a servant that he’d only known for a couple weeks and said servant seemed to care more about him than any other person he’d met so far. Arthur had done nothing but be mean and rude to Merlin, yet Merlin was always by his side. Now Arthur knew Merlin had magic, and he also knew that the reason Merlin had never told was because he didn’t want Arthur to have to choose. Merlin wasn’t afraid of dying or getting thrown in prison. He was afraid of Arthur having to suffer.

“How long?” Arthur whispered.

Merlin paused before answering, “Since I was born.”

Arthur stared. Then, he shook his head slowly. “That’s not possible… Someone cannot be born with magic.” Merlin shrugged, looking incredibly uncomfortable.

“Gaius said I was special. Mother said I was unique. All I know is that I’ve been able to lift objects since before I could speak.”

Arthur was shocked. “How…?” was all he was able to get out.

Merlin sighed. “I don’t really know how. All I was told is that my destiny is to protect someone with my magic,” Merlin said with a shrug.

“Who?” Merlin looked straight at Arthur, eyes burning with a light that Arthur had never seen in his eyes.

“You.”

Arthur could tell that his friend wasn’t lying, and the shock hit him like a wave. Arthur stared at the boy he had learned to call a friend. “Me,” he repeated. Merlin nodded. “Why?”

“The Once and Future King will become the greatest king Albion has ever seen, bringing peace, prosperity, and magic back to the land. A Warlock, the most powerful sorcerer to ever walk this earth, would stand by his side, guiding and protecting the king with his life. The King and the Warlock are two sides of the same coin. Arthur, the Once and Future King is you, and I am the Warlock. My magic is made to protect you,” Merlin said seriously.

Arthur half expected for Merlin to suddenly smile and yell “Just kidding!” but the servant’s tone and face banished those thoughts to the next realm. Then he noticed something. “The most powerful sorcerer to ever walk the earth?”

Merlin’s eyes widened and he muttered a curse under his breath. Arthur almost did a perfect imitation of Gaius’s eyebrow at his manservant’s wide vocabulary. Merlin then looked sheepish.

“Yeah…”

“You?” Arthur asked incredulously. Merlin nodded. “You?” Merlin nodded again, and Arthur continued looking shocked. “You?” he repeated for the third time.

“Yes! Me! Is it really that hard to believe?” Merlin almost yelled.

Arthur nodded. “YES! It is!”

Merlin huffed but seemed a bit more relaxed after the familiar banter, and Arthur found himself calmer too. His head was clearer, and he could think of what to do now. Arthur shook his head fondly. Merlin rolled his eyes.

“So what now?” Arthur asked Merlin. Merlin, knowing exactly what Arthur was referring to, adopted a thoughtful expression.

“I need to go talk to someone.” Arthur raised his eyebrow in yet another Gaius impression.

“And who would this someone be, Merlin?” Merlin laughed nervously.

“You don’t need to know right now…”


End file.
